Improvement in harvester-rakes



J. HOWE.

Harvester-Rakes.

',BUXTON 8L T.

Patented Feb. 17. 1874.

Attorneys.

UNITED -STATES.

PATENT Qrllrrcn JOHN E. BUXTON AND THOMAS J. HOVE, OF OWATONNA, MINNESOTA.

IMPROVEMENT IN HARVESTER-RAKES.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 147,477, dated February 17, 1874; application liled September 26, 1873.

To all whom it may concern: y

Be it known that we, JOHN E. BUXTON and THOMAS J. HOWE, of Owatonna, in the county of Steele and State of Minnesota, have invented a new and Improved Harvester-Rake; and we do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description of the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawing, forming a part of this specification, in which- Figure l is a top view. tudinal vertical section. view.

The invention relates to that class of rakes used upon graiuharvesters, for the purpose of automatically raking the grain oft' the platform, transferring it to the rear end on abinding-plattbrm, and distributing1 it in gavels of a size suitable to be tied and handled with facility.

A represents the harvesterplatform, on whose front, a., the straw and grain fall, and at whose rear it is delivered on another connected platform, B. The latter has a middle, l), which receives gavcl, two projecting sides, to one of which a gavel is alternately drawn by the two binders, and a neck, b', on each side of which is located a binders7 stand, C. This arrangement of these parts enables each binder to have easy access to the bundle in center, and yet to be unimpeded by it while he tying a preceding one. The platform A is curved on a gradual rise, so that the grain will tend to fall against the rake in a bundle, while it is gradually decreased in width as it approaches the binding-platbrm, so that the butts will be pressed and made to become even with each other. Thus the binders are relieved of all labor in arranging the parts of a gavel, and can bind much more rapidly as well as thoroughly. l) is a vibratory harvester-rake, which must be expansible and contractible to suit the varying shape of platform. For this purpose more or less of the teeth d are llexibly connected, the inner end one being provided with a rod, E, which is made fast at its rear end to a rock-shaft, c, while more or less of the teeth are made thus to move between bars el el. As the rake rises, and as the rear side a2 of the platform becomes at a greater and greater distance from Fig. 2 is a longi- Fig. 3 is a detail 4thereto by the spring.

the center of motion, the rod E pushes out the inner-end tooth more and more, this continuing until the delivery end al is reached. The rake is connected with the pintle f by a reciprocating hinge, F, and a rocking shank, G, the shank being journaled in the hinge, and being provided with a spiral spring, g, which exercises a constant tension, and tends to turn it toward the rear. On this shank G is a friction-roll, g1, and an arm, g2, which is also pra vided with a friction-roll, g3. When the rake moves up, it is gradually raised by the correspondingly-rising track H, on which rests the friction-rolls gl g3, the latter roll being held This has the effect of regulating the position of the rake and its teeth. At the top of the track H is a recess, h, and thereunder a second track, H1, against which bears the friction-roll g3 on its return. The two tracks meet at a sharp angle just at the recess h. When the friction-rollg3 reaches the notch h, the tension of spring g upon arm gr2 causes the shank G to turn, andthe raketeeth to be lifted oft' the platform A, while the bearing of roll g3 against the subjacent track Hl prevents the rake from changing its posi4 tion until it reaches the notch h1. H2 is an auxiliary track pivoted on a projection, l, having its upper edge arranged in the recess L, and supported on a spring, h2, that is more powerful than spring g, so that it will not yield to the pressure of roll g3 in passing over its top. Vhen, however, the roll gli is brought against its edge t' by the backward oscillation of the hinge, it is compelled to yield until the roll has come under the recess h1, the roll bcing then forced up and caused to take its position on the track H2. The rake is then ready to make another sweep round, collect the straw, butt the ends evenly, and transfer the gavel to the binders platform. The spring g also as-l sists the raketeeth in extricating themselves from a large bundle. In order to vibrate the hinge F backward and forward, and thus lnove the rake, we attach the pitman J to the upper end of a bar, K, that is pivoted at the lower end to frame, and oscillated by a rod7 L, crank M, gear N O, and large wheel P. The teeth (l are curved rearwardly, as shown in the drawing, to conform to the motion of the rake when coming down to the platform, and also for helping` to relieve it from the bundle when it is raised. A small rubber spring, g4, is arranged on the brace-rod x which passes throu gh arm g2, between said 'a Land the nut on the brace-rod that connect with the rake-head. lVhen the rake goes down for a bundle, this spring,` allows the teeth to yield upwardly, and thus to go only partially through the bundle. This also relieves the strain on the parts as the roll g3 goes up through the aperture h.

It' all the gavels could be ot' the saine size, there would be no necessity for this spring; but, as that cannot be, owing to the difterenee in the stand or number of straws on the saine area in various portions ot' afield, some provision is necessary to secure a yieldingl pressure.

Having thus described our invention, what we claim as new, and desire to lsecure by Letters Patent, is- I 1. The rubber spring g4, brace-rod ./r, and

arm. f/, combined with rake-head, as and for the purpose specified.

2'. A harvester-rake having teeth flexibly connected and alternately contracted and expanded by a push-rod, Il, as and for the purpose specified.

3. A rake-shank, ("r, journaled in a rising' hinge, F, and provided with spring g, roll r/, arm g2, and roll g, in combination with a risin track, H, as and for the purpose described.

4. The. two tracks H H1, having a junction at the notches h h1, combined with the spring- 'supported auxiliary track H2, and the pivoted rake-shank G, having the spring-vibrated arm g2, as and for the purpose set forth.

JOHN E. BUXTON. THOMAS J. HOVVF.

Witnesses to both signatures:

LEwIs L. WHEELooK, 'EsLm A. SPERRY. 

